One of the soldiers of the “Steel Border” brigade, which has been in the Kharkiv region for 7 months, notes that the main thing in the fortifications is safety, because three rolls of logs, which are covered with earth on top, allow them to withstand a direct hit from a 152-mm projectile.
In the Kharkiv region, the situation on the border can hardly be called calm, because Russian artillery, mortars and aircraft are constantly operating there. Border villages have been destroyed. However, despite this, Ukrainian border guards from the Steel Border brigade are intensively strengthening their positions . The defenders told Donbas Realia correspondent Yehor Lohynov how the underground fortifications were constructed.
According to Lohynov, Ukrainian fighters are trying to make the corresponding fortifications not only convenient for defense, but also comfortable for living. The correspondent calls such fortifications a “real underground city,” because its length is more than three kilometers.
“Logs in three rolls on top are sprinkled with earth for camouflage, light, hot water, sewerage, dugouts and, of course, loopholes to directly conduct the battle,” Lohynov describes the underground fortifications of the Ukrainian border guards.
One of the fighters notes that the main thing in such a fortification is safety, because three rolls of logs, which are covered with earth on top, make it possible to withstand a direct hit from a 152-mm projectile.
“That’s why it’s safe here. It’s safe for the local population, because we have completely withdrawn all our units from populated areas,” adds the border guard.
According to the correspondent, the Steel Border brigade has been in the corresponding territory in the Kharkiv region for seven months. Before this, the defenders fought in the Bakhmut direction. When the soldiers arrived at the front, there were only trenches.
“At first I didn’t even believe that it could be done. There was an idea when we started planning... we started with excavation work. First with an excavator. And then, when we started to go out, we realized that we were on the right path and this needed to be done. Moreover, when the enemy began to use artillery and mortars - the personnel did not even have to be persuaded. They, like moles, burrowed into the ground very quickly. This is necessary. This is security," said Oleksandr, a military man from the Steel Border brigade.
According to Oleksandr, such fortifications in a defensive battle are one of the first things that needs to be done.
Another soldier from the “Steel Border,” Ivan, said that the border guards decided not to wait for the state program, but with their own hands “to do everything so that comfortable conditions can be created.” Underground, the fighters have electricity, a kitchen, hot water, showers and a bathhouse, toilets with sewerage and washing machines.
“Here we are now at one of the positions of our brigade, where, in principle, all the necessary conditions have been created so that people can rest and get themselves in order: wash, wash, eat. And we constantly rotate. People who return from combat duty, there they stay directly on the line of contact from one to five days, then return here, put themselves in order. This allows them to maintain such morale and fighting spirit,” says the serviceman.